Republican Scott Brown wins U.S. Senate seat held for nearly half a century by Edward M. Kennedy.

The Republican upset in the race for the U.S. Senate seat held for nearly half a century by liberal Edward M. Kennedy reflects a huge victory for opponents of U.S. President Barack Obama - and also for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Scott Brown defeated once-favored Martha Coakley for the Massachusetts seat even after U.S. President Barack Obama rushed to Boston on Sunday to try to save her candidacy.

Over the past nine months, Netanyahu has managed to curb pressure from Obama, who enjoys a Democratic majority in both houses of Congress. Now, however, Obama will be more dependent on the support of his Republican rivals, the supporters and friends of Netanyahu.

No Israeli politician matches his steps to the political goings-on in the U.S. as much as Netanyahu. He dragged out negotiations over the settlement freeze and then decided it would last for 10 months and end in September - just in time for U.S. Congressional elections in which Democrats are expected to suffer heavy losses.

Netanyahu understood he must withstand the pressure until his right-wing supporters recapture a position of power on Capitol Hill and work to rein in the White House's political activities. The election in Massachusetts, one of the most liberal states in America, will from this moment on be a burden for Obama.

Proponents of the peace process will view this as a missed opportunity for Obama, who spent his first year in office on fruitless diplomatic moves that failed to restart talks between Israel and the Palestinians. From now on, it will be harder for Obama. Congressional support is essential to the political process and in the current political atmosphere in the U.S. - in which the parties are especially polarized - Netanyahu can rely on Republican support to thwart pressure on Israel.

If Obama's popularity continues to dive and the Republicans recapture at least one of the houses of Congress in November, Netanyahu and his partners will be able to breathe deep and continue expanding settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.

To get the latest from HaaretzFollow @HaaretzomLike us on Facebook and get articles directly in your news feed

..having been in Washington at the time..The appointment of the "Energy Czar" Bill Simon was a description of Simon's duties and powers to coordinate and help the country in the Oil crisis of 1973.
Bill simon was just another White House Staffer, but an important one.
Mark--don't talk or write crazy--it had nothing to do about Bolsheviks or hurting the 'left." Republican didn't talk or think like that in those days -- give me a break Viet-Nam wasstill boiling along!
In 1973, Nixon was also drowning in his own cover-up of the Watergate affair. My friend was his Senate Liason at the time..Nixon was fighting for political life.

Now is the right time for the US to stop acting as a weak mediator between Israeli/Palestine and pass the baton to the UN or the European community. It really doesn't matter whether it's the Republicans or Democrats who hold sway, neither party really cares about justice for the Palestinians.

I predicted this months ago. Obama and democrats will come crashing down on their domestic agenda and Obama will need to regain his political capital. He will follow the Grand Master himself, Bill Clinton. Bill was in desperate trouble with the Monica L. scandal when he smartly decided to bomb the crap out of Serbia. The fact that he bombed a wrong country that forced a dangerous international precedent breaking up a legally formed, independent country and caused irrevocable strategic damage in the US relations with Russia (with China taking silent notes on Taiwan) non-withstanding, Bill?s problems evaporated overnight and his popularity soared.
My prediction is that the Obama will play this card later this year. I hope I am wrong.

Howdy Mark,
I agree with many of your comments.
However, the USA is at war.
More than 200.000 US Servicemen/women are fighting to free the people of Iraq,Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Now a new front has appeared in Yemen.
Maybe even in Somalia at some later date.
The US economy aint so great.
Job losses, bank failures and general malaise has woken up middle America.
You know, the silent majority.
Massachusetts may well have been lost.
Then again so are the lights of many Democratic held States being extinguished, mainly because the US needs a firm and resolute leader.
Somewhat lacking to those that love marching bands, apple pie and the American Dream.
Have a nice day.
Goodnight from snowy, freezing Swiss Alps.

Do Israelis realize that 50 million Americans are without health care? My Israeli friends were shocked to learn that in order for me to be self-employed I must pay $1,200 monthly for health insurance in Washington DC. I realize Bibi and the Israeli right don't give a damn that yesterday's Rethuglican victory will end the health care reform bill and effectively kill millions of uninsured Americans. They only see it as a green light to carry on ethnic cleansing in the territories.

I refuse to ignore push polls fro the F-word channel and its mirror-twin, MSNBC. Feel free to ignore my analysis. But call in polls by viewers are not a valid way to analyze voter sympathies.
Democrats have self-destructed now on health care reform. And if anything will pass, it will require a republican acquiescence. But the universal NO vote is no longer a Republican option if there is to be any functioning US government.

This won't actually change anything. Although Obama might have said a lot that was critical of Netanyahu's continued defiance of the law and UN Security Council Resolutions, he didn't actually do anything.
The spokesperson might have changed, but the people running the show are exactly the same.

..Czars is a terrible word to describe people, who work on the Presidents' staff with titles like "Assistant to the Pres." or "Counselor to the Pres."
The first unofficial use was in Nixon's White House describing Bill Simon (Energy Czar)who corridante the energy crisis of 1973.
Kissinger was basically a Czar as Nat Security Advisor.
Pres Bush #43, has similar title for staff members on the NSC.
Jackies all these individuals, who are recognized experts in their field, are staff extensions of the President; and the President is resonsible for their success and failures.

I say good too and it is great news.But unlike you I did not vote for the Democrats,but
for the Republicans.
After this latest am elated to know Obama's is slowly but surely going down the PAN.
And not a day sooner.
There you see Yariv a typical Jew,like many others who voted him and now are regreting it.

I do not think winning one seat in the Senate will result in changing the basics. he democrats have 59 seats and the Republicans 41. What it does do is prevent some misuses of Presidential power. However, Obama follows his own rules and no one seems to pick up on this. His appointment of "Czars" without congressional approval is, to my mind, completely illegal under the US Constitution.

Whatever happens Obama is going down the hill.
His ratings have plummeted at an alarming rate.
I say let us wait for the November midterm elections,then we can judge what he will try.
As for vengeance:Who is he going to be vengeful against and how?

The connection is very remote,if there is any...
Unfortunately,the "pyramid" the left built all over the world from 1917 on is too massive...the left feeds on the hopes and aspirations of a world of have nots...promises them the paradise and drops only crumbs for them to survive...It's the very same in Brazil.The government gives the "professional destitutes" a "bolsa familia"(a monsthly stipend),for them to shut up and vote for the left...It's cheaper than to build an infrastructure,give them educationj and health...Poor is the one that feeds on the remains of the wolf's feast...The "right" still has a huge mountain to climb!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Everybody knows that Israel considers it in their own interest to avoid peace. At the same time, they must pretend to want peace. Result? Anyone who plays along with Israel?s peace games is wasting their time and adding to their frustration while the result is always the same.

is a futile attempt , regardless who is in white house . Israel is a country where taking risks in human lives will never be acceptable , and this is exactly the main issue here . Peace or no peace , Arabs will always find reasons to murder Jews and this natural impulse must be kept in a tight check . So foreign pressure is fruitless anyway , unless they can prove the opposite without losing Jewish lives .

The USA is a great nation with a great part to play in the Jews` role in the world, but sadly when we put our trust and reliance solely in them - then from within them will come the realization that we can only rely on our Father in Heaven.

Haaretz.com, the online edition of Haaretz Newspaper in Israel, and analysis from Israel and the Middle East.
Haaretz.com provides extensive and in-depth coverage of Israel, the Jewish World and the Middle East, including defense, diplomacy, the Arab-Israeli conflict,
the peace process, Israeli politics, Jerusalem affairs, international relations, Iran, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, the Palestinian Authority, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip,
the Israeli business world and Jewish life in Israel and the Diaspora.